Certificate holder



Jan. 14, 1936. l A O, C0555 2,027,517

CERTIFICATE HOLDER Filed NOV. 26, 1934 INVENTOR.

E; @5&5 N

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 14, 1936 iJNlTED STATES PATENT Qiiil 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to identification or certicate holders,and more particularly to flexible holders that are designed to bewrapped around the steering wheel column of an automotive vehicle suchas an automobile, bus, truck, or like.

The principal object, therefore, of my invention is to provide acerticate or like holder that is successful in the service for which itis intended, economical in manufacture, and durable in use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a certicate holder ofnovel construction and one that is easily and readily removed from orplaced on the steering wheel column without tools and without danger ofdamaging or marring the seating compartment of the vehicle in which itisused.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a certificateholder that When in a detached condition has both ends open for theinsertion or removal of the instrument to be displayed.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a certicateholder that is automatically held in a closed condition when installedaround a steering wheel column post. l

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claimsand illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a steering wheel post with my certicate holderinstalled thereon.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the body portion of my device and morefully illustrates its construction.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View of my holder and is taken on line 3-3of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the holder taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2,with dotted lines showing the position of this part of the holder whenflexed around the steering wheel post.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I have used the numeral I0 todesignate a steering wheel post. The numeral il designates the baseportion of my holder which is rectangular in construction with thecorners cut o. This base portion may be of any suitable material such asleather, leatherette, or like. The numeral l2 designates a sheet oftransparent material such as Celluloid or like. This sheet I2 is also ofrectangular construction, but has a width and (Cl. Lill-10) length bothless than the Width and length of the base Ii, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the manufacture of my holder ginal edge portions I3 of the base overand upon the side marginal edge portions of the transparent sheet I2.These ilap portions I3 and transparent sheet l2 are permanently held inposition as shown in Fig. 2, by any suitable means such as stitching it.

If a means for securing the holder around a steering wheel columnsimilar to that shown in the drawing is used, the stitching I4 may, ifdesired, be dispensed with. The reason for this is thatthe securingmeans employs rivets which rigidly secure the flaps I3, base II, andtransparent sheet l2 together, as shown in the drawing. I will nowdescribe the securing means as shown in the drawing. The numeral i5d-esignates two spaced apart hook rivets extending through one of theflaps I3, transparent sheet I2, and base portion I I. The hook portionof each of the rivets I5 extends inwardly as shown in Fig. 3. Directlyopposite from the hook rivets I5 and extending through the other flapI3, transparent sheet I2, and base portion Il are the two spaced apartrivets I6. These rivets I6 each have secured to them a coil spring il.On the free end of each of these springs II is a ring I8 capable ofbeing engaged by the hook portion of one of the rivets I5. As thetransparent sheet I2 has a length less than the length of the baseportion II, a ap I9 will be available at each end of the compartmentportion of the device. This particular construction is very important,as when the holder is removed from a steering wheel post and in a flatcondition as in Fig. 2, a certificate or like can be inserted fromeither end between the base portion and transparent sheet. It is just aseasy to remove a certicate from either end. This is not the case,however, when the holder is wrapped around a cylindrical object such asa steering wheel post and the flaps I9 have been folded over` and uponthe marginal end portions of the transparent sheet I2, as shown inFig. 1. The reason for this is that flaps I rest in an arc of greaterdiameter than the diameter of the arc in which the base I I resides.This action tightens the iiaps IS and makes them so taut around thesteering wheel post that, although not fastened to the transparentsheet, it is almost impossible to bend them back to an unfolded opencondition, as shown in Fig. 2.

In view of this, no fastening means is necessary to hold the flaps inclosed positions when the device is wrapped around a steering wheelpost.

the side mar- I I are folded Dotted lines 20 in Fig. 2, show thepositions of the aps I9 when in a folded closed arrangement. By cuttingoff the corners of the original base portion, the Ilaps I3 and I9 willbe mitered and will conform with each other, as shown in Fig. l.

To place the holder around a steering wheel post or like, it is merelynecessary to lay the holder on the post such as shown in Fig. 4, foldthe flaps I9 over the end portions of the transparent sheet I2, then exthe holder around the post, bring the springs I'I on around the post andhook them over the hook portions of the rivets I 5. To remove the holderit is merely necessary to unhook the spring rings I8 from the rivets I5.The springs I'I will yieldingly hold the certificate holding portion ofmy device in proper place on the post. As the sheet I2 is transparentany certicate or like placed in the holder by being inserted between thebase II and sheet I2 will be readily visible.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of myimproved certificate holder without departing from the real spirit andpurpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claimsany modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents whichmay be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, a single elongated rectangularsheet of flexible material having its four corners trimmed and its twoside marginal edge portions folded over to form a side iap at each ofits sides, a sheet of transparent exibe material over the main portionof said first-mentioned sheet and extending under each of said iiapportions; said transparent sheet member having a length less than thelength of said first-mentioned sheet member to provide end iiaps on saidfirst-mentioned sheet member capable of being folded over the endportions of said transparent sheet, a means for securing saidrstmentioned sheet, said side flaps, and said sheet of transparentmaterial together leaving said end flaps on said first-mentioned sheetfree and unsecured, and a resilient element designed to have one of itsends operatively secured to one side 10 edge portion of saidrst-,mentioned sheet member and its other end operatively secured to theother side edge portion of said inst-mentioned sheet member.

2. In a device of the class described, a single l5 elongated rectangularsheet of iiexible material having its two side marginal edge portionsfolded over to form a side flap at each of its sides, a sheet oftransparent Iiexible material over the main portion of saidfirst-mentioned sheet and extending under each of said flap portions;said transparent sheet member having a length less than the length ofsaid first-mentioned sheet member to provide end flaps on saidrst-mentioned sheet member capable of being folded over the end portionsof said transparent sheet, a means for securing said first-mentionedsheet, said side flaps, and said sheet of transparent material togetherleaving one of said end iaps on said ilist-inenticned sheet free andunsecured, and a resilient element designed to have one of its endsoperatively secured to one side edge portion of said rst-mentioned sheetmember and its other end operatively secured to the other side edgeportion of said inst-mentioned sheet member.

ANSALEM ORVILLE COBBS.

